South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1887-10-07
DECAPITATED. .
How Capital Punishment
Managed in Japan.
A Quick and Painless Death a,
the Hands of the Executioner.

contributor TO the Gentlemcn's Mag.
axinc describes an execution I'm Janan
We quote rs follows: As each man
stepped from the path on to the plateau
his eyes were firmly bandagel with
white paper. the only act of mercy / saw
vonchsafed TINT morning Finally they
were ranged in line, the two cripplcs
huddicd on the ground, their poor heads
ms they dropped from shoulder to shout
der being roughly buffcted TO proper
angle by the policeman in charge This
accomplished, amid silence so absolute
that we colld almost hear our hearts
beat, the great man on the camp stool
rose, and unfolding large document.
read in loud voice what
VIC supposed to be description of the
crimes for which the poor fellows were to
suffer and the process Of condemnation
and sentence. This was n very long bust
ness, and before it had nearly finished the
native spectators were laughing and jok-
ing upon the appearances of the doomed
men, with that callousness to human suf-
ieripg which so much blackcns the other
wise amiable and pleasing character of
the japanese people. At last it was fin
ishcd. As there were but five holes for
seven prisoners, two would be obliged to
remain in blind agony while their com
panions were being dispatched. Five
men were accordingly thrust forward
with the slaves and fists of the police !:
each man was made to squat on "A mound
his clothes If filthy, tattered rags could
be called clothes-strippcd from his
shoulders, his hands tied behind his back
and his head pushed forward over the
hole. Our feelings at this awful moment
can better bc imagined than described.
but l think we felt quite as much
pity for the two poor wretches
lett alone 10 listen 10
what was going on without that arti-
fetal aid to fortitudc which the sight of
crowd sometimes gives, rs for Their
companions on their death SCAT. I'm
doubleday execution by the trenchant
japanese sword is as merciful death as
can be desired, but the Oriental nature.
as II to compensate for this crring on
the side of mercy countcrbalauccs it by
On undue prolongation or the prepare,
tions for death, which is worse than .
hundred deaths. 50 in this case. As
the poor fellows knelt over their holes
the executioner slowly and deliberately
took off his coat and barcl his
arms. Then he took from its silk cas;nn
the fatal sword, examined it fondly aud
lingeringly from the Yasuri me, or filing,
on the hilt to keep the grasp from slip
ping along the Kirimop, or groove in the
bia,fc;;to thhe noint. held Il Gycr nSiii
while coolie tricklcd water down il.
and with great deal Of settling Of his
feet was ready. l felt sick aud eiddy.
but kept my eyes fixed on the scene.
At sign from the official OH the camp
stool, the cxecutioner raised his sword
slightly, hardly half dozen inches and
almost before / could realize il the man's
head was hanging over the hole by n
single ligamcnt, and the blood was oush-
ing forth in torrents. I then saw why
the eXecutioncr had not completely sew
cred the head; and the wonderful skill
OF the japanese swordsmen, using MS
they do the most perfect weapons in the
world, can be imagined in so ARRANGING
the force of the blow that absolute do
capitation does not take place. He tore
the head off and held it toward the four
sides of the square; then he gave it to a
coolie, who roughly plastercd the sew.
cred portion with clay and stuck it on a
kind of elevated shelf. In the mean
while two coolies were humping on the
back of the PROSTATE body to hasten the
rush OF blood, after which one of the
coarse mats was thrown over it and IL
was laid aside. had seen enough. and
! turned my head away as the execution
er, after wiping his blade with papcr
approached the second poor wretch
who was shouting out something at tho
top Of his voice, whether a confession or
a denunciation Of injustice, was not
scholar enough to understand